DeepSeek R1 vs o4-mini — LLM API Cost Comparison
Compare DeepSeek R1 (DeepSeek) vs o4-mini (OpenAI) on cost per million tokens, context window, and monthly spend.
Prices verified 2026-05-20 · Pricing may change — use the calculator for current estimates
- Input
- $0.55/1M tokens
- Output
- $2.19/1M tokens
- Context
- 128K tokens
- Released
- 2025-01
Open-source reasoning model; competes with o1
- Input
- $1.1/1M tokens
- Output
- $4.4/1M tokens
- Context
- 200K tokens
- Released
- 2025-04
Best-value reasoning model; chain-of-thought built in
Monthly Cost by Usage Tier (70% input / 30% output ratio)
| Usage | DeepSeek R1 | o4-mini | Cheaper by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light (1M tokens) | $1.04 | $2.09 | DeepSeek R1 (50%) |
| Moderate (10M tokens) | $10.42 | $20.90 | DeepSeek R1 (50%) |
| Heavy (100M tokens) | $104 | $209 | DeepSeek R1 (50%) |
| Very Heavy (1B tokens) | $1,042 | $2,090 | DeepSeek R1 (50%) |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper — DeepSeek R1 or o4-mini?
For input tokens, DeepSeek R1 is cheaper at $0.55/1M tokens — 2.0× less than $1.1/1M. For output tokens, DeepSeek R1 wins at $2.19/1M vs $4.4/1M. At heavy workloads (100M tokens/month), the cost difference can be significant.
What is the context window difference between DeepSeek R1 and o4-mini?
DeepSeek R1 supports 128,000 tokens per request; o4-mini supports 200,000 tokens. o4-mini wins on context length, making it better for long documents, large codebases, or extended conversations without chunking.
When should I choose DeepSeek R1 over o4-mini?
Choose DeepSeek R1 (DeepSeek) if you prefer DeepSeek's ecosystem, tooling, or reliability track record. Open-source reasoning model; competes with o1. Choose o4-mini (OpenAI) if Best-value reasoning model; chain-of-thought built in. the price/performance fits your workload better. Use this calculator to find the break-even point for your exact token volume.
How much does 1 billion tokens cost on DeepSeek R1 vs o4-mini?
At 700M input + 300M output tokens (1B total): DeepSeek R1 costs $1042; o4-mini costs $2090. The difference is $1048/billion tokens at this 70/30 input/output ratio.